Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-10-27
THE OLD TIME RIVER DOGS.
A Veteran Captain Regrets the Tameness
OF Modern Navigation.

A Veteran Captain Regrets the Tameness
of Modern Navigation.
"Steamboating amt what it used to be-"
said veteran captain, and, as he brooded
over the days when every trip of boat was
characterized by some stirring event which
made indelible impressions on the officers,
passengers and crew, his face assumed a mel
ancholy cast Nowadays steamers ply up
and down the Mississippi in regular old seven-
and-six style, with nothing but sociability
among passengers to relieve tiresome mo-
notony.
"In the palmy days of Capt James Lee. Sr.,
with whom / served on more than one boat,
we never had any such quiet and order as
now reigns. do not mean that the times
were tough or outlawry on board the steam
ers prevailed, but there was excitement
something to keep us interested. The cap
tain always took charge of everything of
that sort, fully protecting his passengers.
"One was when he commanded a steamer
in the Memphis and Vicksburg trade. At
the latter point three tough passengers got
aboard, all heavily armed, and one Of whom
had killed man only two or three days be-
fore. Although boisterous, they kicked up
no disturbance until the boat was about to
land at Memphis. Then they became engaged
in squabble with the clerk, sickly, con-
sumptive looking young man, about some
trivial item. The captain watched the progress
of the row until he thought it had gone
far enough, when he quietly appeared
on the scene and suggested that they do
their quarreling where they got their whls-
Ky. This nettled the rowdies, who turned
their attention to the new conner, stating that
they would raise row whenever it pleased
them. OF course the captain objected and
there was a fight. Squaring himself he
knocked down the first man to reach him,
and was preparing to receive the murderer
when the third, with long knife, made for
him in the rear. Seeing the danger the clerk
seized a heavy iron poker and dealt the would
be assassin a heavy blow across the head,
knocking him senseless. This about disposed
of all save the murderer, and he and the cap
tain clinched. Both We're powerful and
plucky. They struggled out to the cabin
stairway and rolled down, Capt Lee OH top
"By this time the boat had landed and the
first mate was ashore. Perceiving the fight
he ran aboard, jerked off his coat and hat,
threw them on the deck and almost danced
for Joy as he exclaimed: Let him go, cap
tain; this is my fight He sailed in, and the
captain allowed him to take charge. The
two men fought and fell, the mate underneath.
Capt. Lee reached down and placed his
substitute on top, but his antagonist soon
hoored him again. Two or three times the
positions were reversed by the captains in
reference, and always with the same result,
until finally the police arrived and arrested
the cause of the trouble. As he marched away
he boastingly said: "I've got the worst OF it,
but it took the whole boat Come at me one
at the time and I'll lick the entire crew! ! But
the mattel He looked as if he had been drawn
through sausage mill. Capt Lee took him
aft, washed and condoled with him and gave
him stimuant. When the power of speech
returned the willing but insufficient substi-
tute remarked: Captain, l owe you an apol-
ogy. That was not my fight The man who
did him up and was arrested received heavy
fine and short Imprisonment sentence from
the court"
Capt. Lee, ST., is now in his eightieth year,
takes life easy and leaves the fighting to his
worthy son, who follows in the footsteps OF
his venerable and respected sire when it be-
comes necessary to hold his own.-Memphis
Appeal.